Field of Invention
This invention relates to providing information, more particularly to providing information using idle device, user's idle time period, and eye-tracking technology.
Description of Prior Art
When a smartphone is standby, its display may turn dark to save energy. Without user intervention, the smartphone would stay that way. In some cases, a user may not want to play with a standby phone, because he or she may be busy doing other things. In some other cases when a user is not busy, he or she may still be reluctant to awake a phone from standby state, if there isn't anything curious or interesting. In the latter scenario, a user may have time to take or view information, while a smartphone may have a blank screen ready to display and convey info. However, there lack convenient ways and incentives for a user to start it. As a consequence, the phone may continue to be idle, while a user may just gaze at a dark empty screen, causing a waste of time for both the user and phone.
Accordingly, there exists a need to utilize idle time of smart phone and other electronic devices to present information to idling users.
Advertisements represent a major revenue source for many internet service providers and communication companies. When users surf on the Internet or communicate with each other, however, most hold a rather negative attitude towards advertisements, which often tend to present contents in an intrusive, disruptive, obtrusive, or even rude manner. Intrusive ads include unexpected pop-up, unwelcome or oversized banners, or annoying flashing objects or pictures. On the other hand, advertisements made to be less intrusive often end up being ignored or less effective due to a weak or subtle appearance. In both cases, either users are offended, or ad effect is in doubt.
Thus, it is desirable to have a method and system which provide advertising information in a less-intrusive but effective way. Because an idle device sometimes means an idling user, it may be less intrusive and probably more effective to present advertisements utilizing idle device in an unused time slot. But so far most internet advertisements appear at a rather awkward time, competing with programs a user is running or annoying a user who is already busy enough.
Therefore once again, there exists a need to utilize idle time of electronic devices like smartphones or tablet computers to present information. The idle time may be especially useful for showing advertising contents to idle users.